Notes for Day 1
Resources and Links

Websites presented by Brian to demonstrate what our students are using today (information at their fingertips):
chacha.com -- How do we look at a website to determine validity?
wolframalpha.com -- Informational search engine (math computational); like Google - How do we use this to our advantage?
khanacademy.org - video tutorial for working problems/concepts (watch, practice, coach); listen to the TED talk


Brian's ideas on Google queries:
  • Start in the advanced searchstage.
  • Type in the the blue box (will do a phrase search). Can limit to type of site, country code...
  • Complete boxes to best extent (date, domain, file type...)
  • Ask: Who is going to give me the best information?
  • Use the colon to also narrow search.
  • Astriks are also helpful to open the search.
  • Other ways to organize information searches are through the timeline and the wonder wheel. The timeline organizes information by dates. The wonder wheel is a concept map and allows the big ideas/keywords.

Search tools beyond Google:
sweetsearch.com - Reviewed before posted; can be used by emerging learners
kidrex.org - customized search engine created by someone using Google; filtered Google for kids

When verifying websites that have no author, you can try easywhois.com.

snopes.com - to verify internet hoaxes
Video of Ball Girl's Crazy Catch - hoax video on YouTube

Contributers
  • Class Scribes - official notetaker for the class
  • Tutorial Designers - student made or teacher made (great way to answer frequently asked questions)
    • YouTube
    • MathTrain.tv
    • Jing- allows you to record what you are doing on your screen (screencapture) and records your voice - free version has 5 min limit
      • In district - in the KACE download list (type http://kbox1in your browser)
      • At home - free download
    • Screencast-o-matic - screen capture tool that requires no downloading
  • Researchers
  • Tool Developers
    • Custom Search
      • see Kid Rex example from above
      • You can choose to limit to a certain page within a web site or the entire site depending on the URL you include.
      • Steps
        • Google.com - your SBISD account works
        • Click on More
        • Click on Even More
        • Choose Custom Search
        • Create a Custom Search to start from the beginning or Manage your existing searches to work on one
        • When entering the URLs, be sure to enter only 1 per line
        • They need to be VERY accurate
    • Poll Daddy
    • Google Forms
  • Curriculum Review and Publications
    • Book Trailers - Moviemaker or PhotoStory
    • The Clem- 8th grade class web site for students to work on their writing
  • Global Connections

Twitter Tools
  • Tweetchat- Helps you participate in an ongoing/live conversation using hashtags. Limits your view to only that hashtag and automatically put the hastag in your post. Links to your Twitter account.
  • TwitterCamp- The red screen with Twitter posts during the session is a display only website. You can't post from it.
  • November Learning's hashtag listin Google Docs
  • Refined listfrom Cybrary Man
  • Alpha hashtag list from CybraryMan
  • Hootsuite- Twitter management online application. It helps you manage Twitter by providing different columns for different purposes. It also includes Facebook if you like.
  • Tweetdeck- Twitter management application. There's a download piece. It help you manage Twitter like Hootsuite. It was displayed on Day 2 (black background with multiple columns).
  • To request comments on student products, use the hashtag: #comments4kids

Bookmarking Tools
  • Diigo- allows you to bookmark websites on the web rather than on your machine
    • Use your school email address to get an educator account
    • You can install a toolbar to make it easier to use
    • With an educator account you can create student accounts under your account
    • Join the SBISD group by going to http://groups.diigo.com/group/sb-isd
  • Delicious - similar to Diigo

URL Shorteners - all are websites that shorten web addresses to make them easier to use
  • Goo.gl- you can get statistics to see how many folks use your shortened address
  • Tinyurl.com- you can customize the shortened phrase
  • Bit.ly

Tech4Learning.com
  • rubric building (Recipes4Success)
  • lesson plans
  • images that are approved for educational use (Pics4Learning)

New Ways to Think About Information

Slideshare.net - Allows you to convert a PowerPoint into a presentation that can easily be embedded in a website, wiki, or made available on the web. No frills, but content transfers exactly.

YouTube video of building an airplane in flight.

From the students:
  • Boolify - an elementary student friendly search engine